High-speed networks are continually evolving. The evolution includes a continuing advancement in the operational speed of the networks. The network implementation of choice that has emerged is Ethernet networks physically connected over unshielded twisted pair wiring. Ethernet in its 10/100BASE-T form is one of the most prevalent high speed LANs (local area network) for providing connectivity between personal computers, workstations and servers.
High-speed LAN technologies include 100BASE-T (Fast Ethernet) and 1000BASE-T (Gigabit Ethernet). Fast Ethernet technology has provided a smooth evolution from 10 Megabits per second (Mbps) performance of 10BASE-T to the 100 Mbps performance of 100BASE-T. Gigabit Ethernet provides 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) bandwidth with essentially the simplicity of Ethernet. There is a desire to increase operating performance of Ethernet to even greater data rates.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a pair of Ethernet transceivers communicating over a bi-directional transmission channel, according to the prior art. An exemplary transmission channel includes four pairs of copper wire 112, 114, 116, 118. The transceiver pair can be referred to as link partners, and includes a first Ethernet port 100 and a second Ethernet port 105. Both of the Ethernet ports 100, 105 include four transmitter TX, receiver RX, and I/O buffering sections corresponding to each of the pairs of copper wires 112, 114, 116, 118.
An implementation of high speed Ethernet networks includes simultaneous, full bandwidth transmission, in both directions (termed full duplex), within a selected frequency band. When configured to transmit in full duplex mode, Ethernet line cards are generally required to have transmitter and receiver sections of an Ethernet transceiver connected to each other in a parallel configuration to allow both the transmitter and receiver sections to be connected to the same twisted wiring pair for each of four pairs.
One result of full duplex transmission is that the transmit signals shares the same transmission channel as the receive signals, and some of the transmit signal processing shares at least some electronic circuitry with receive processing. Non-linearities of transmit signals can be generated within the transmitter section of the transceiver, and at least some of the non-linearities can be imposed onto the receive signal. The result is distortion of the receive signal.
Full duplex transmission can result in at least a portion of the transmit signal being coupled back into the receive signal. The portion of the transmit signal that couples back is referred to as an echo signal. Linear portions of the echo signal can be canceled by subtracting an approximate echo signal from the received signal. Generation of the echo cancellation signal, and cancellation process can also introduce non-linearities which can be imposed on the receive signal. The result is additional distortion of the receive signal.
Additionally, the receive signal itself can introduce non-linearities. For example, the receiver section typically includes an ADC which converts the analog receive signal into a digital stream. This ADC can introduce receive signal non-linearity.
It is desirable to have an apparatus and method for reducing non-linearity of a receive signal due to a transmission signal of a full-duplex transceiver. It is additionally desirable to reduce non-linearity of the receive signal due to echo signal cancellation.